Kurashiki (Okayama) is a time capsule of life in the merchant quarter of a small town in Japan in the 1600’s. Its perfectly preserved shops and temples are a great place to wander about and imagine you have stepped back in time.
Mount Koya-San is a unique region in Japan. It’s a sacred mountain covered with ancient towering cedar woods that is full of incredible Shinto Shrines and Budhist Temples. It’s a massive complex interspersed through the forest that would literally take you a week or two to see it all.
Here we stayed with the Monks in traditional Tatami guesthouse rooms, its like stepping back in time (but taking a bit of electricity with you). We had an early rise and joined the Monks for the dawn fire ceremony and chanting.
Text credit to Adam Monk (slightly edited)
Photos: Ulrich Jobs
Our Port of entry was Kansai International Airport – Osaka for a start of our second trip to Japan. 13 days visiting the most popular places including Kyoto and Tokyo. Plenty of photos taken and hard to choose what to post and why. Final thought on that was just to take what I personally liked not even trying to give justice to the many wonderful people we met and the magnificent places we saw.
Photos: Ulrich Jobs
Last day of our safari in Amboseli we were mocking our terrific guide Solomon that we did not see cheetahs and of course no pangolin. We could not believe five minutes after leaving Tortilis Camp four cheetahs crossed the road and started tolling around. Nearly forgot to choose a few of the best shots to post.
Photos: Ulrich Jobs
After Amboseli our last safari for this year: Masai Mara. Thanks to some rain grass finally started growing and the green Masai Mara motivated gnus crossing Mara Mara river to Kenya for better food. After sighting of two crossings of course time for some shots of other animals too.
Photos: Ulrich Jobs
Without any doubt the star of Amboseli is Craig, a 51 year old super tusker. We had the chance to be with him for more than one hour without any other car bothering us and Craig. This gave us a chance for low wide angle shots we will never forget. Of course we saw and photographed many other beautiful animals and people. Some pictures are shown in this post.
Photos: Ulrich Jobs
End of August is no migration time here and we did not expect to see something special. And then it happened one early morning. We met a big lion pride with two males, three mothers and ten cubs. Plenty of nice shots taken but these two are different from all lion photos I have ever taken. So so lovely.
Photos: Ulrich Jobs
A mother was calling out to find her four cubs after a kill. She found them and led her to the kill to feed. Later on a wonderfull male lion appeared and tried to find the feeding family but the wind was in their favour so they could finish their meal without getting chased away.
Photos: Ulrich Jobs
Close to Krueger National Park and with an open border to it Timbavati Game Reserve shares all wildlife roaming freely in this huge area. We stayed at Makanyi Lodge and at Bateleur Camp enjoying amazing wildlife. Here some pictures.
Photos: Ulrich Jobs
After our last visit 2017 we finally made it back to the Chobe River National Park. Famous for its elephants in the water we saw some great wildlife and enjoyed taking photos. Some of them we like to share here.
Photos: Ulrich Jobs
Bryce Canyon National Park (/braɪs/) is an American national park located in southwestern Utah. The major feature of the park is Bryce Canyon, which despite its name, is not a canyon, but a collection of giant natural amphitheaters along the eastern side of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. Bryce is distinctive due to geological structures called hoodoos, formed by frost weathering and stream erosion of the river and lake bed sedimentary rocks. The red, orange, and white colors of the rocks provide spectacular views for park visitors. Bryce Canyon National Park is much smaller and sits at a much higher elevation than nearby Zion National Park. The rim at Bryce varies from 8,000 to 9,000 feet (2,400 to 2,700 m).
Photos were taken on our hike from Sunset Point down Navajo Trail and through Queens Garden up to Sunrise Point, walking back on the Rim Trail to Sunset Point. We were lucky to get into our car before the storm reached the Rim.
Photos: Ulrich Jobs
Goosenecks State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Utah, overlooking a deep meander of the San Juan River. The park is located near the southern border of the state a short distance from Mexican Hat, Utah.[1] Millions of years ago, the Monument Upwarp forced the river to carve incised meanders over 1,000 feet (300 m) deep as the surrounding landscape slowly rose in elevation. Eroded by water, wind, frost, and gravity, this is a classic location for observing incised meanders.
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
Arches National Park is a national park in eastern Utah, United States. The park is adjacent to the Colorado River, 4 mi (6 km) north of Moab, Utah. More than 2,000 natural sandstone arches are located in the park, including the well-known Delicate Arch, as well as a variety of unique geological resources and formations. The park contains the highest density of natural arches in the world.[3][4
We visited the park beginning of May 2023. Here just a few impressions shot in brought daylight, nothing fancy, some pictures jpegs straight out of the camera. you just want to press the shutter button again and again and again, so beautiful.
Photos: Ulrich Jobs
IPhone Photo: Ulrich Jobs
Monument Valley (Navajo: Tsé Biiʼ Ndzisgaii, pronounced [tsʰépìːʔ ǹtsɪ̀skɑ̀ìː], meaning valley of the rocks) is a region of the Colorado Plateau characterized by a cluster of sandstone buttes, the largest reaching 1,000 ft (300 m) above the valley floor.[1] It is located on the Utah–Arizona state line, near the Four Corners area. The valley is a sacred area that lies within the territory of the Navajo NationReservation, the Native American people of the area.[2]
Monument Valley is one of our favourite destinations to visit. A few pictures cannot show the true beatuy of this place on earth. Sacred and very special.
Photos: Ulrich Jobs
Besides all wildlife experiences during our winter trip to Japan at the very end in Tokyo we experienced a very special cultural evening with Geisha performance. Geisha are a class of female Japanese performing artists and entertainers trained in traditional Japanese performing arts styles, such as dance, music and singing, as well as being proficient conversationalists and hosts. Their distinct appearance is characterised by long, trailing kimono, traditional hairstyles and oshiroi make-up.
Photos: Ulrich Jobs
Hokkaido is famous for it´s red crowned cranes and stellar sea eagles. But the snow monkeys in Yamanouchi are incredibly photogenic too.
Photos: Ulrich Jobs
New snow over night and then a temperature drop to -40F created a Winter Wonderland which was beautiful but bitterly cold too.
Photos: Ulrich Jobs
The name of the refuge means “woods of the Apache” in Spanish, named for the Apache tribes that once camped in the forests along the Rio Grande.[4]
The heart of the refuge comprises approximately 3,800 acres (15 km2) of Rio Grande floodplain and 9,100 acres (37 km2) of irrigated farms and wetlands. In addition to this, the refuge contains 44,300 acres (179 km2) of arid grasslands and foothills of the Chupadera and San Pascual Mountains.[5] About 30,000 acres (120 km2) of this is designated as wilderness.[4]
Late November to late February is the best time for large numbers of birds, typically over 10,000 sandhill cranes and over 20,000 Ross’s and snow geese. Below a few pictures of sandhill cranes early morning and at sunset.
Photos: Ulrich Jobs
Dawn Patrol
Difficult Flight Control
Coming back for the night
Churchill is a town in northern Manitoba, Canada, on the west shore of Hudson Bay, roughly 140 km (87 mi) from the Manitoba–Nunavut border. It is most famous for the many polar bears that move toward the shore from inland in the autumn, leading to the nickname “Polar Bear Capital of the World”.
October and early November are the most feasible times to see polar bears, thousands of which wait on the vast peninsula until the water freezes on Hudson Bay so they can return to hunt their primary food source, ringed seals.
We spent five nights in the exceptional River Seal Lodge in October 2022 and were privileged to go on walks finding opportunities to take photos on eye level with these wonderful animals. Some of the nicest are posted below.
Photos: Ulrich Jobs
When is enough enough?
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
Swimming lesson
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
Fishing lesson
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
When I say it I mean it. Guess bear parenting is difficult too.
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
Port Hardy on Vancouver Island is the starting point to the Great Bear Lodge using these wonderful more than 80 years old land/sea planes.
Photos: Ulrich Jobs
They say you have to be unlucky not to see a tiger visiting Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve and I believe that is true. We were lucky to get another opportunity for some great shots of a beautiful animal. So glad we made the effort to come and see those wonderful big cats in the wild.
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
How many tiger photos do you need? As many as you like. Tigers are just beautiful even in monochrome pictures.
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
A photographer´s dream becomes true when a tiger leaves the bush and approaches a waterhole. It gets really exiting when it decides to cool off and enters the water for a walk or swim and you are in right position to see the face and some reflections in the water. Thank you Anshu from Samode Safari Lodge at Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve.
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
Tiger, tiger, tiger! First time we heard our trackers in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve shouting the sighting of a tiger we got really excited and were hoping for good position to get a decent shot. Sometimes it worked out – sometimes not so much. But the animals never disappointed. To see them in the wilderness in their natural habitat Roaming around freely is an experience of a lifetime just like meeting gorillas in the impenetrable rain forest. We are very grateful we got the opportunity to do both.
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
You would think you have to leave the city to find tawny frogmouth. I was very surprised to spot two of them in the front yard of some friends we visited yesterday but I should have known better. From Wikipedia: They can be found in almost any habitat type, including forests and woodlands, scrub and heathland vegetation, and savannahs.[19] However, they are rarely seen in heavy rainforests and treeless deserts.[20] They are seen in large numbers in areas populated with many river gums and casuarinas, and can be found along river courses if these areas are timbered.[6] Tawny frogmouths are common in suburbs, having adapted to human presence. They have been reported nesting in parks and gardens with trees.[6]
Photos: Ulrich Jobs
Nothing beats a Sunday afternoon drive. Only 40 minutes from Caloundra a nice lunch served at the Glasshouse Mountain Lookout Cafe and from the terrace a magnificent view.
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
The meerkat or suricate is a small mongoose found in southern Africa. It is characterised by a broad head, large eyes, a pointed snout, long legs, a thin tapering tail, and a brindled coat pattern. The head-and-body length is around 24–35 cm, and the weight is typically between 0.62 and 0.97 kg. Wikipedia
This one was found in Australia Zoo.
It is fun to watch those kite surfers. Wonder if I should give it a try?
I guess there will be many more coming as these sunsets are taken from the terrace of our new home in Caloundra. Just too beautiful to see and not to share.
Storms passing over Sunshine Coast. No hail at Coolum Beach but lots of rain, thunder and lightning.
Seen in the Brackenridge Tavern, QLD
Seen at the entrance of Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve. Again blown away by the quality of this JPEG out of the camera, cropped, highlights and shadows a little bit adjusted and done. Love the new EOS R5.
#Australia #Queensland #MaryCairncrossScenicReserve #Dragon #SouthernAngleHeadedDragon
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
All real wildlife photographers and those who believe they are will most likely frown upon these pictures. But Macaws are just so colourful and so beautiful to look at that I would like to share a couple and hope many viewers will enjoy them.
Photos: Ulrich Jobs
#Australia #SunshineCoast #Maleny #Birds #Macaw
Pulled up at Point Arkwright the other day where usually some photographers hang out waiting for eagles and ospreys but nobody there. Took me a little while to find two in the cliffs watching an Eastern Osprey sitting on a branch. Luckily long enough to get my camera and 600mm lens out of the car to get some close shots of this beautiful bird.
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
#Australia #SunshineCoast #Arkwright #Bird #Birds #Osprey #EasternOsprey
Who would not want Koalas to be rescued? They are just adorable and so cute.
Photos: Ulrich Jobs
#Australia #Queensland #SunshineCoast #Wildlife #Koalas #Koala
The Rainbow Bee-Eater is a spectacular bird. With its green, blue, chestnut and yellow plumage, its slim build, slender curved bill and distinctive streamers that extend from the end of its tail, it is simply beautiful.
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
#Australia #Queensland # SunshineCoast #Yaroomba #Bird #Birds #RainbowBeeEater
Not much to explain here. Just sitting on a rock, enjoying the beautiful view, listening to the waves and taking some photos can be a very good start of the day.
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
#Australia #SunshineCoast #CoolumBeach #Beach #EarlyMorning
Nestled within the Cooloola region of the Great Sandy National Park, the Noosa Everglades is a spectacular network of pristine waterways and wetlands connecting the Northern Noosa River system on the Sunshine Coast. Black Swans are very common here so to spot a flock of them passing our boat was not surprise at all.
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
#Australia #SunshineCoast #Noosa #NoosaEverglades #Birds #BlackSwan
Maleny Bird World is located besides the Botanic Gardens on Maleny Stanley River Rd. Great destination for families and desperate photographers who cannot travel to wildlife destinations due to travel restrictions. Wonder why they named this fellow below Donald?
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
The Glass House Mountains are a cluster of thirteen hills that rise abruptly from the coastal plain on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. The highest hill is Mount Beerwah at 556 metres above sea level, but the most identifiable of all the hills is Mount Tibrogargan which from certain angles bears a resemblance to a face staring east towards the ocean. This is a view from Botanical Gardens on Moutain Stanley River Road South West of Maleny.
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
#Australia #Sunshine Coast #GlassHouseMountains #MalenyBotancalGardens #Landscape
Travel restrictions made us stay in one place longer than anywhere else the last 10 years. One thing we started liking is the Boardwalk and coastal walk from Coolum Beach to Point Arkwright and back home. 5.6 km and 103m elevation gain in the cool of early mornings get the blood flowing and are a wonderful active start of the day.
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
#Australia #SunshineCoast #CoolumBeach #Boardwalk
Travelling Hawaii February last year we visited the volcanos on the Big Island. Driving on the Chain of Craters Road a stunning lava field with some grass bushes and great panoramic vista made us stop the car and take some pictures. Lack of colours and interesting patterns and lines seemed to be suitable for a nice black and white conversion.
#USA #Hawaii #BigIsland #Pahoa #ChainOfCratersRoad #Lava #Grass #Bushes #LifeFightsBack
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, 1/80sec at f/11, ISO 2000, 24mm (EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM)
It is fascinating to watch hawks fishing at Rio Claro in Pantanal, Brazil. Happy about this frontal shot with hawk´s both eyes wide open. Not talking about poor fish which just became food.
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
#Brazil #Pantanal #RioClaro #Hawk #FishingHawk
Who said cats do not swim? I do not know but it is definitely not true for jaguars in Pantanal. Porto Jofre at the end of Transpantaneira Road is located at Rio São Lourenço and ideal starting point for safaris on the river with little speed boats. On July 20th, 2019 this picture was taken after the jaguar crossed the river and decided not go straight ashore but suddenly turned towards us swimming along the shore to find the right spot to leave the water. Slowly backing up we got an incredibly exciting viewing of it’s great swimming skills and plenty of great shots.
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
#Jaguar #Jaguars #SwimmingJaguar #Cat #Brazil #Pantanal #RioSãoLourenço #PortoJofre
Rio Claro is a fine destination to take photos of birds. From our visit last year I could take home this picture of a fishing heron which looks to me – I am not a birdie – like a Great Blue Heron. Now having time not travelling as planned I am finding more and more great pictures I overlooked selecting on the run.
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
#Brazil #Pantanal #RioClaro #Heron #FishingHeron #GreatBlueHeron
Rio Claro is a fine destination to take photos of birds. From our visit last year I could take home this picture of a successful fishing hawk which looks to me – I am not a birdie – like a Black-collard Hawk. Now having time not travelling as planned I am finding more and more great pictures I overlooked selecting on the run.
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
#Brazil #Pantanal #RioClaro #Hawk #FishingHawk #BlackCollardHawk
First school day after holiday I believe this mother and daughter rubbing each others ears caught my eye. Never seen this before. It looked loving, caring and gentle but I don’t know. Only thing I remember with my ears touched by another person is when my teacher pulled them up as a kind of punishment for whatever.
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
#Mexico #SanMiguelDeAllende #mother #daughter #motheranddaughter #caring #loving #gentle
Working Woman, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, January 17th, 2020
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
#WorkingWoman #Working #Woman #SanMiguelDeAllende #Mexico
The Big Island of Hawaii offers a lot to see. One day in February 2019 we drove to the Waimea Canyon State Park and got caught in a big storm. First we were not happy and then it happened. Never seen a full double rainbow before in my life. Very beautiful and a great memory.
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
#rainbow #beautiful #WaimeaStateCanyon #BigIsland #Hawaii #USA
Just one year ago we visited the Kimberley in Western Australia exploring the coast line for nearly two weeks on the True North and with helicopter rides. Picture shows Montgomery Reef which has an unusual wide tidal range, up to 10 metres (33 ft). When the tide is out, vast lagoons, sandstone islets, and a central mangrove island are revealed. The outward movement of the tide forms a torrent of water, creating a river cutting through the reef and hundreds of cascading waterfalls. At low tide, more than 4 metres (13 ft) of reef can be exposed.
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
#Australia #Kimberley #MontgomeryReef #Reef
Hilo is a little coastal town on the Big Island, Hawaii. Last year in February not far from our hotel we stumbled on some magnificent trees in the Liliʻuokalani Park and Gardens.
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
#USA #Hawaii #BigIsland #Hilo #LiliʻuokalaniParkandGardens #tree #trees
Just a few minutes north of St. George in Utah we found Snow Canyon State Park. Close to famous National Parks like Zion and Bryce Canyon it is often overlooked but nevertheless very beautiful and easy to get to. No crowds made our hike on May 10, 2018 really enjoyable. Great memory.
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
#SnowCanyon #StatePark #StGeorge #Utah #USA #RedRock #Hiking
The famous Mitten Butte and Merrick Butte Panorama is said to be the most photographed place in the United States. This picture was taken May 2018 on our tour from Texas to Washington National Park. In hindsight a great place for self isolation and social or better physical distancing. At that point in time we were not thinking about those but just enjoying this magnificent landscape.
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
#MonumentValley #USA #Utah #Navajo #Landcape
Wonder what these two juvenile eagles we spotted exactly two years ago at Hughes Landing at Woodlands near Houston, Texas are up to by now. Hopefully they are enjoying more freedom than we do having been in lock down for a while.
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
#eagle #juvenileeagle #USA #Texas #Houston #Woodlands# HughesLanding
2017 we visited Mountain Gorilla Families in the Buhuma area of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Picture shows Silverback communicating who is in charge.
The chinstrap penguin is a species of penguin that inhabits a variety of islands and shores in the Southern Pacific and the Antarctic Oceans. Guess where it name comes from. Here a proud mother (or father) as the parents alternate getting food for the young ones.
#Antarctica #Birds #Penguins #ChinstrapPenguins
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
The king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) is the second largest species of penguin.
#South Georgia #SaintAndrewsBay #Penguins #KingPenguins
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
Marie Uli, your pictures from the trip are magnificent. Thank you for sharing.
Saint Andrews Bay is a bight 2 miles wide, indenting the north coast of South Georgia immediately south of Mount Skittle. King penguins form huge breeding colonies – and the one at St Andrews Bay has 150,000 birds. Because of the long breeding cycle, colonies are continuously occupied.
#South Georgia #SaintAndrewsBay #Penguins #KingPenguins
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
Another macaroni penguin too cute not to be published.
#Bird #Penguin #MacaroniPenguin #AntarcticPeninsula
Photo: Yvonne Woodfield iPhone photo
The macaroni penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus) is a species of penguin found from the Subantarctic to the Antarctic Peninsula.
#Bird #Penguin #MacaroniPenguin #AntarcticPeninsula
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
The Antarctic tern is a typical tern. It ranges throughout the southern oceans.
#Bird #Tern #AntarcticTern
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
Ushuaia – southernmost city of South America and gateway to Antarctica, South Georgia and Falkland Islands
#Argentina #Ushuaia #Gateway
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
Falkland Islands at West Point visiting a black browed Albatros colony. To watch the bonding dance of the big birds certainly was one of the highlights of this trip.
#FalklandIslands #WestPoint #Bird #BlackBrowedAlbatros #Albatros #Bonding
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
On our way to Antarctica we stopped as usual in Buenos Aires. In the morning sun the Torre Monumental looked so beautiful with the mighty Rio de la Plata in the background.
#Argentina #BuenosAires #Torre Monumental #RioDeLaPlata
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
I thought Wildlife Photography demands a lot of patience. But Street Photography is even more demanding. Sometimes you don’t even know what you are waiting for. And if it happens – you better be ready for the moment.
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
Sometimes it is exciting to try something new. Yvonne and I joined a Street Photography Workshop with Jesse Marlow in Melbourne last weekend. From our first shoot Saturday morning I am happy share this picture.
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
#StreetPhotography #Melbourne
Never seen a higher concentration of beautifully coloured birds than in the Pantanal. Here a Green Kingfisher around Rio Claro. Photo: Ulrich Jobs
#Brazil #Pantanal #RioClaro #Birds # GreenKingfisher
Another sight of these wonderful Jaguars living in the Pantanal and showing up on the river banks of Cuiaba river when the water is low enough. Photo: Ulrich Jobs
#Brazil #Pantanal #RiverCuiaba #Jaguar #BigCat
Again and again a fascinating moment when a Black-collared Hawk flies in, grabs the fish and takes off again. Photo: Ulrich Jobs
#Brazil #Pantanal #RioClaro #BlackcollaredHawk #Hawk
Young bears playing in the Katmai National Park. Photo: Ulrich Jobs
#KatmaiNationalPark #Alaska #GeographicHarbour #Bears #LindbladExpeditions
Geographic Harbour, Katmai National Park, Alaska
Walrus ride the swell visible from the bow of National Geographic Orion. The third largest pinniped these animals can weigh nearly two tons. Photo: Ulrich Jobs
#Russia #Kamchatka #Wildlife #Walrus #LindbladExpeditions
The National Geographic Orion took us to South Glubokaya Bay and the landing did not look very promising. The Fjord was completely fogged over and we were walking through swampy wet grass and flowers. Just when we thought to return because there really was not much to see and everybody shot enough macros for a year the sun broke through and within minutes we had the most beautiful landscape around us. What a nice surprise and happy shooting started again. Photo: Ulrich Jobs
#Russia #Kamchatka #SouthGlubokayBay #LindbladExpeditions #Landscape #Fjord #Mountains
Cruising on the National Geoagraphic Orion landing on Karaginskiy Island in Russia far east gave us the the opportunity to admire large wildflower meadows. The beautiful Iris is quite common here and mostly pretty enough to take a shot. Photo: Ulrich Jobs
#LindbladExpeditions #Russia #Kamchatka# KaraginskyIsland #Wildflowers #Iris
Our cruise on the National Geographic Orion included visits to the Koryak people in Russia far east. Particulary the extremely warm welcome we experienced when arriving at the Tymlat village impressed. Obviously sharing their culture was not only fun for us.
Photo: Ulrich Jobs
#LindbladExpeditions #Russia #Kamchatka #People #Koryak # Tymlat #Culture #Fun
This cute Arctic Fox on the beach in the Commander Islands, Russia did not bother to take notice of us. A beautiful animal easy to photograph. Photo: Ulrich Jobs
The Stellar sea eagle is not only impressive flying. Sitting you can see why it is the heaviest of all eagles. Photo: Ulrich Jobs
Nearly forgot to present this little cutie roaming the shores at Geographic Harbor which is a part of Katmai National Park, the site of the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century. 
Geographic Harbour, Katmai National Park, Alaska
Cruising in Zodicas on the Zupanova River we got some great views of the legendary Stellar sea eagle, the biggest or better heaviest eagle of our planet. Photo: Ulrich Jobs
Not the best bear photo but the biggest bear I have seen on this trip from Katmai to Kamchatka. This one was spotted on the banks of the Zupanova River. Photo: Ulrich Jobs
Geographic Harbor is a part of Katmai National Park, the site of the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century. We set out early in our fleet of Zodiacs to look for the legendary coastal brown bears that come here to feed on salmon. We did find bears as the fog lifted, but the salmon will not be here until July so the bears were feeding on clams, mussels, and barnacles. These bears also enjoy their vegetables and like to eat protein-rich sedges and cow parsnip.
Source: NG Orion expedition report 2019-06-20, Grace Winer;
Photographer Ulrich Jobs
Geographic Harbour, Katmai National Park, Alaska
Mother with one year old cub at Geographic Harbour, Katmai National Park, Alaska
Geographic Harbour, Katmai National Park, Alaska
The Chiswell Islands are a major nesting area for seabirds including black-legged kittiwakes. These seabirds, part of the gull family, nest in dense communities in nearly inaccessible areas. Source: NG Orion expedition report 2019-06-19, Mike Greenfelder; Photographer: Ulrich Jobs
Jaguars, the third largest “big cat” on earth dwells deep within the Pantanal’s tangled floodplain forests. 
Along with breathtaking jaguars, the Pantanal’s other truly great spectacle is provided by the amazing variety of water birds that utilize these wetlands to probe, sift and stab for prey. They include huge numbers of egrets, herons, ibis and wood storks, as well as spoonbills and jabiru.
iPhone Photos: View from the trail head
We are looking forward to board the National Geographic Orion again. This time our journey will start at Seward and end in Nome, Alaska. Praying for calm weather to cross the Bering Sea as there is always the risk of getting sea sick. Hope to get some good shots of bears when visiting Kamchatka. All batteries are fully charged. Ready to sail.
The Kimberley is not only waterfalls but in the early season there are a lot and they are all beautiful then with plenty of water.
Helicopter flights are great to experience the beauty of The Kimberley
Leslie Trewinnard Beautiful!
After Tanzania in 2010 with an outstanding experience of landscapes and animals we had a long pause until returning to Africa. But now is the time. We are in Namibia already and are looking forward to visit South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Uganda and Kenya. Some people would name this an epic Africa journey and maybe it is one. We feel blessed to be able to travel all these wonderful countries and are happy to share our encounters with beautiful animals and breathtaking landscapes for next few weeks.
With Air Namibia we had a pleasant flight from Windhoek to Cape Town landing about 6 pm. So it was already dark when we got our luggage. Gladly we had decided earlier not to rent a car at arrival but get it delivered to our first accomodation at Leeu Estate in Franschhoek. It was by far more convenient to get transferred by Robin, a nice guy from Cape Town, who helped us with all our luggage. A very warm welcome at Leeu Estate, accomodation in fantastic Cellar Cottage and a tasty dinner was much appreciated by two tired travellers befor they retired to bed.
Two rainy days were actually very welcome because we suddenly realized how exhausted we were. So not many activities therefore just sleeping, resting and enjoying the great service of the Leeu Estate people.
It is a more than 400 km drive from Franschhoek to Outdshoorn on famous Route 62. Sadly the first part around the Franschhoek Pass was in the clouds and it was raining. Later the day it cleared up and we could enjoy spectacular scenery. It is always nice to see what amazing rock formations mother nature created particularly when the rocks start glowing in the afternoon sun.
The one day we had in Oudtshoorn we spent visiting Cango Caves and having a nice coffee and carrot cake in a local coffee shop. Cango Caves we highly recommend the Heritage tour. The caves are really beautiful and beat a lot of caves we saw around the world.
When we pulled up in front of the coffee shop one of the self appointed parking guards with the name Johnny Be Good promised to look after our car until we come back, of course expecting a tip for his efforts before leaving. First it did not feel right and we asked two obviously local women enjoying coffee on the terrace if and if yes, how much we should give. The younger one immediately responded nothing at all. It would be better if these guys go and find real work. The older lady disagreed and meant a few Rand would not do any harm. “Grandma has a soft heart” the younger woman explained. Hmh, now I was in a real dilemma. I was told so many times my heart was granit and for a dollar or so I could easily prove it was not. So I asked myself the question what is the difference of paying four dollars into a meter in Brisbane? Well, I can tell you now. For one dollar here you get a big smile, thank you and God bless you and for four dollars in Brisbane you get not fined. So what does it matter if it feels right or not. Better give with and open heart.
The road from Oudtshoorn to George leads over the Outeniqua Pass offering great views of the South African country side. Before you start climbing up on the left hand side there is a Roadside Deli and World Famous Pizza which sells the most delicious carrot cake. The pizzas look great too but it was too early for lunch so we did not try it only watched people taking huge portions away obviously to feed a few people.
From George to Plettenberg the coastal road is very scenic. Around Knysna we saw the scars of the tremendous bush fires they had a few months ago. Many houses had to be evacuated in a hurry we heard from the locals. Some people could only grab some basics and lost it all. Very sad.
Plettenberg Bay surprised us with a really stunning scenery. Our hotel The Plettenberg offered an outstanding location above the Bay and very comforting accomodation and service. The pool was a bit cold so we gave it a miss. From our terrace and the garden we were lucky to spot a huge mother whale with it´s calf. Very relaxing and enjoyable.
We decided to dine at The Fat Fish and were not disappointed. Delicious curry prawns and their King Klip really mouth watering. Also recommendable a stroll through Old Nick´s Town. Great coffee and cakes at the bakery there.
Surely there is a lot to do and to see around Plettenberg but we decided to have time out from being a tourist. Cape Town is coming up and then Kruger National Park so we have to be rested and fit.
The second oldest town in SA was just in the right distance for our stopover. A lovely town with a great coffee shop in the old jail. Really wicked lemon meringue cake to die for. We felt well taken care of in the De Kloof Luxary Estate built in 1801. Exceptionally renovated and very tastefully decorated with memorables the Dutch owners collected living in some countries of Africa and Asia. We did not have enough time to visit the Dutch Reformed Church and the Drosty Museum but leaving town we got a good idea what undulating wheat lands means.
On our way to Cape Town we decided to stay a couple of nights at the Grootbos Private Nature Reserve. Grootbos means something like tall bush and it is true. No trees to build houses or ships from. Perhaps this explains why there is a huge area undisturbed with a variety of more than two hundred plants. A tour with an experienced and knowledgeable guide is a must to enjoy this special part of the southern cape.
And of course were looking out for whales and indeed saw some from afar. I was not really whale season so we skipped the boat tour also because it was quite rough and getting seasick is no fun.
After Tanzania in 2010 with an outstanding experience of landscapes and animals we had a long pause until returning to Africa. But now is the time. We are in Namibia already and are looking forward to visit South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Uganda and Kenya. Some people would name this an epic Africa journey and maybe it is one. We feel blessed to be able to travel all these wonderful countries and are happy to share our encounters with beautiful animals and breathtaking landscapes for next few weeks.
At our first stop in Namibia we stayed at N/a´ankuse Lodge near Windhoek and made a striking experience: walking with three young cheetahs. It is stunning to see these animals elegantly roaming through the grass and coming close up to you in the
N/a´ankuse Wildlife Sanctuary
A perfect spot for watching sunsets in the Kalahari Desert is the red Dunes Lodge located between Kalkrand and Mariental. Lots of Oryx and Springbock around, also some Giraffes. This part of the Kalahari desert close to the Tropic of Capricorn resembles some Australian deserts in its latitude and its mode of formation.
We stayed at the Wolwedans Dunes Camp on the edge of a 250 m high dune in the NamibRand Nature Reserve.
Home to the mysterious fairy circles NamibRand Nature Reserve, a vast privately owned reserve covering almost 200 000 hectares bordering the Namib Naukluft Park, is situated south of Sossusvlei in southwestern Namibia. Synonymous with some of Africa’s most breathtaking locations, the Reserve originated in 1992 as the dream of J.A. (Albi) Brückner – to extend desert frontiers by integrating a large number of former livestock farms. To date, thirteen former livestock farms have been rehabilitated into a single continuous natural habitat. The result is a sanctuary free of fences allowing the wildlife to once again roam their habitat unhindered.The NamibRand Nature Reserve is a non-profit private nature reserve. All landowners belonging to the Reserve have signed agreements and adopted a constitution that sets aside the land for conservation – now and in the future. The Reserve is financially self-sustaining mainly through high quality, low- impact tourism. The Nature Reserve has an independent webpage, have a look at www.namibrand.org.
About 9000 Oryx are roaming and feeding in the area just like those two imitating us as curious tourists full in ore of the wonderful shapes and colours of the landscape.
From the Hoodia Desert Lodge where we stayed it is only a few minutes drive to the entrance of the National Park and then 35 km until the four wheel drive adventure begins. The walks on the dunes are quite strenuous and we were glad we did it in winter and not at 45 C in summer when the sand starts burning your feet.
On our way from Hoodia Desert Lodge to our destination Swakopmund we needed a break because of distance and exhaustion. Travelling not for a short holiday but more than a lifestyle you need to hold on and rest every now and than even if it is only for a day. Gladly our travel agent Iwanowski chose a really excellent hide away on our route. Only for chalets tucked into a mountain with wonderful views of the desert and mountains around in every direction. When we arrived it was a big surprise for host and us: we were not expected this year but next year the same date. Luckily Katrin and Bernard had a vacancy and were extremely nice about it. For two nights we were the only guests and were taken in like family. Warmly welcomed and with home cooking we really felt like home away from home. Getting the laundry done, doing some maintenance or beauty treatment on yourself, walking around enjoying the views and interesting rock formations, some laps in the big pool, uploading and editing photos, writing for this blog filled in the one and a half day very quickly. Sadly we left after only two nights because another one or two days here would have been really rewarding for body and soul.
Between Katiti´s Place and Walvis Bay on the way to Swakopmund there is not much infrastructure. Better fuel up in Solitaire and doe not leave without some food and water in the car to be safe just in case. The gravel road is partly rough and heavily corrugated so you get plenty of African massage.
Walvis Bay greats you with it´s industrial side so we passed it without stopping and drove along a beautiful dunes scenery to Swakopmund. The Strandhotel we stayed had an outstanding service, nothing was a problem to make it comfortable for some seasoned and spoiled travels like us. Best treatment: delicious cookies German style, my favourite “little pig ears or kleine Schweineöhrchen” which I did not have tasted for ages. And out of the window went my weight watching eating again. Yvonne enjoyed the book shop and yes, real books are still very much preferred instead of an electronic reader. I have to admit to enter a book shop and smell the book smell is still a treat.
A catamaran trip in Walwis Bay was one of our activities we did not like that much. Perhaps we are to spoiled with wildlife after some trips with National Geographic. But getting pelicans and seals on the boat and feed them for entertainment of the tourist is just not our thing. We also skipped driving through the dunes with quads or cars believing walking Sossusvlei was the ultimate dune experience. We went to the lagune by our own rental car and enjoyed a few quiet moments with the flamingos. After having seen them so many times in different places we still manage to get excited by these birds elegantly feeding or just resting on one leg in the wind.
If you are a friend of untouched wilderness this is the place to go. Impressive massive ochre boulders glowing in the morning or at sunset and dry ancient riverbeds set the scenery for game drives. We had an amazing encounter with a little herd of twenty bush elephants coming towards us quietly feeding and hardly taking any notice of us. It is just so enjoyable watching these majestic animals in their natural environment doing what they do up to eighteen hours a day. A lot of chewing and it surprised us how thick branches were crushed and disappeared in their mouth.
The rock paintings at Twyfelfontain are Namibia´s first World Heritage Site are the most important of the whole continent best to see in the afternoon sun. But it is a very hot walk with not much shade around which makes it a strenuous cultural experience.
Everybody was quiet happy to be back at the Mowani Mountain Camp to enjoy some cool drinks and the fantastic view during a spectacular sunset. Surely one of the best Sundowners to be experienced.
Little Ovango is part of the Ovango Lodge. Only three chalets located above the main lodge very secluded and very private. The Ovango Private Game Reserve borders the Etosha National Park at Anderson Gate. Highlights of the game drives were meeting Stompy – the boss of the reservation
and to watch six lionesses and two young males preparing for a hunt in the early morning strategically positioning themselves in a wide clearing for some impalas.
Fortunately or unfortunately – depending which side you want to take – the hunt was blown off because the impalas noticed the ambush and run away before it was too late. Slowly the lions moved into the bushes looking for some shade and sleep.
From our terrace we spotted our first rhinos drinking water at the lodge´s waterhole. Because it was a little bit far away we moved into the hide closer and at the same level with the waterhole. Our little hike down and up was rewarded when more rhinos appeared amongst them a mother with her baby.
Form Onguma Fort at the Eastern entrance of the Etosha National Park we did some extensive game driving in Etosha and experienced numerous wildlife encounters we can only show a glimpse here and we believe the pictures will speak for themselves. A great experience worth to get up at 5 am and suffer a bit from the morning cold in the open Landcruiser.
And more safari but very special wildlife watching. Seen by yourself the beuatiful big cats – cheetahs and leopards we had the opportunity to watch for some time in peace moving around in their natural environment. It makes you feel very priviledged and grateful to see these beautiful animals.
We cannot believe how quickly four weeks in Namibia passed by. So many wonderful things we saw. A big thank you to all these great and friendly people we met. Many of them helped to make Namibia unforgettable for us. Here a last view from the terrace of the Heinitzburg Hotel on the roof of Windhoek.
Please go the new blog Africa – South Africa. It is getting a bit awkward with all the scrolling. So I decided to continue with a new blog.
From July 2016 to February 2017 we travelled from the top end to the bottom end of our wonderful planet, saw amazing nature and met great people. The pictures on this web page http://www.ulrichjobs.com taken on this epic journey will hopefully be a welcoming distraction from all the bad news swamping through the media and a gentle reminder to focus on the beautiful things around us every now and then.
Jean Huang Photography - Los Angeles Custom Portraiture and Fine Art Photographer Thank you for sharing, Uli! Thanks to one of the trips, we got to meet you and Yvonne.
Brian Warren
Great picture!